San Jacinto college cuts basketball, volleyball and soccer programs

San Jacinto college trustees cut men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball and men's soccer, effective May 2018, citing costs that "weren't sustainable for the long term," a college spokesperson said.

The decision was made at the regular meeting of the college's trustees Monday night.

"This was an extremely difficult decision," said Mr. Dan Mims, Chairman, San Jacinto College Board of Trustees in a statement. "For the last 10 years, the Board has been having difficult discussions around athletics and facilities. The Board is charged with being fiscally responsible and good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Because student success is the core value at San Jacinto College, we need to remain true to our mission around student success and focus our resources on programs and initiatives that impact the broader student body."

Approximately 150 student athletes are affected by the cuts, the college said.

"This was a difficult and painful decision that in no way reflects on the success of the teams, our student-athletes, or the coaches," said Dr. Brenda Hellyer, Chancellor, San Jacinto College in a statement. "We are continually monitoring and evaluating student success, and making decisions based on data and the needs of our entire student body. This decision really came down to looking at the $2.6 million in annual operating costs and a miminum of $25 million in facilities needs. We have to weigh the total benefit to the full student body and to our goal of student success."